Coronavirus: Information for people affected by dementia

During the coronavirus pandemic we have advice and practical tips for people living with dementia and those supporting them – either in the same household or from a distance.

We will update this information regularly, including details about how Alzheimer’s Society can help. This will provide support to help you get through this difficult time, so do come back to see what’s available.

About coronavirus

Coronavirus causes a new illness (COVID-19) that mainly affects your lungs and airways.

Symptoms in most people will be mild – a high temperature and persistent cough. Some people will also have difficulty with breathing (shortness of breath).

A few people with COVID-19 will get severe symptoms and need medical attention. Older people and those with a long-term health condition (for example, lung disease, heart failure, diabetes) or a weakened immune system (for example, because of HIV or chemotherapy) are more likely to get worse symptoms. These are people who are offered the regular flu jab every year in the autumn.

The higher-risk groups for severe coronavirus illness include almost everyone with dementia, and many older family carers.

What is COVID-19?

COVID-19, short for coronavirus disease 2019, is an infection caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). SARS-CoV-2 is a newly identified pathogen that has not previously been seen in humans and is highly contagious. Though it belongs to the same category of viruses as SARS coronavirus (SARS-CoV) and influenza viruses, SARS-CoV-2 is a different strain with its own characteristics.

COVID-19 was first reported in Wuhan, China, in December 2019, and the outbreak has spread quickly across the world, prompting the World Health Organization (WHO) to declare COVID-19 a pandemic.

Advice for everyone

We must do all we can to fight coronavirus. It’s spread easily between people and not everyone with coronavirus infection has obvious symptoms.

To stop us catching or spreading the virus, the law now says that everyone should stay at home as much as possible.

The rules about this are different in Wales, Northern Ireland and England so check the guidance about going out for the area where you live. For all regions you are allowed to leave home for:

shopping – for things like food and medicine

exercising outdoors

any medical need – including to provide care, to help a vulnerable person or to escape risk of harm

going to work – where you cannot work from home.

Even when doing these, we must always keep two metres (three steps) away from anyone outside the household. Use public transport only if your journey is essential. A face cover is recommended on public transport and some shops, where it’s harder to keep two metres away from people.

These rules apply to everyone. They should be followed particularly carefully by people with dementia and those living with them. This is because people with dementia and older people in general are at higher risk of severe illness if they catch coronavirus.

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